Choices of containers for a compact disc up until now have been limited to containers constructed entirely of plastic, containers constructed partially of plastic, expensive "set-up" boxes which do not fold up flat before they are used and which require a great deal of hand operations for fabrication from paperboard and paper liners, or a variety of paperboard sleeves and folders which hide all or a significant part of the disc from view until the disc is removed from the container and which can potentially scratch the disc.
The container of choice for compact discs (CD's or CD-ROM's) for recorded music or computer data at this time is the plastic "jewel-box". Because the design of the jewel-box requires the panel holding the compact disc to grip the disc by outward pressure on the periphery of the center hole of the disc, and also requires clear, rigid top and bottom panels to allow visibility of printed inserts, the material used must be injection molded plastic of the polystyrene type.
The environmental concerns of some recording artists, record labels and CD-ROM publishers have created a desire and need for a compact disc container that is not constructed of plastics, and especially polystyrene, which have serious environmental impact in their manufacture and which, at this time are not practically recyclable when they break or are discarded. These problems are solved by the invention disclosed herein which can be constructed from recycled and recyclable paperboard.
Current alternatives to the plastic jewel-box include the AGI DigiPak, U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,812; December/1987; Kosterka, which uses the same method of gripping the disc as the jewel-box and therefore requires a plastic CD holder similar to the one used in the jewel-box. Further, this alternative adheres the plastic disc holder to a blank of paperboard, creating a mixed material container that is virtually not recyclable. The invention disclosed herein avoids the use of plastic in its construction and is recyclable.
Other alternatives to the plastic jewel-box include paperboard or card stock folders like Leverick; U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,318; February/1992: Kaplan et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,413; February/1987: and, Foreign patent number 2,278,594; February/1976; France and others where the disc, which frequently is decorated on its non-playing surface with designs, graphics or important information, is completely hidden or substantially hidden from view in a pocket. Further, these containers with pockets require insertion of the disc at the time of manufacture by expensive hand methods as opposed to automated insertion. Removal of the disc from a container with a pocket makes possible the scratching of the playing surface of the disc which is a more serious problem in regard to computer CD-ROM discs. All of these problems are eliminated in the invention disclosed herein, which allows display of the full surface of the disc, while holding it securely in a way that allows removal straight up and out of the container without the threat of scratching and enables automated loading directly down into the CD Holder Panel.